The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-07-28
IN A MOSQUE.
Strange Religious Exercises ina
City in Asia Minor.
WorshiperS Who Become
Crazed With Excitement.

ASIA MlnOr, uenry NJ. JcWett says III lie
Boston Herald: We attended, by invita-
ton of the sheik, who is the head of a
peculiar sect of Mohammedans, the SER
vice in mosque outside the city. At
the entrance to the mosque the sheik
met us and conducted us up fight of
stairs to his private room. This room
had a window at one end, so that we
could look directly down into the
mosque and see all that was done, quite
as if we were in private box in thea
tre About 40 men of all classes of
society, from the day laborer in rags to
the military officer in fine uniform, stood
in semi-circle in front of the niche,
which the sheik occupied. After the
usual prayers, the real performance COM
menced. This, at first, consisted simply
of repetition of the word "Allah-God,"
accompanied by swaying of the body
back and forth. At first it was "Al-lah
-Allah," the first syllable accented,
over and over again. Then, when this had
gone on for some time, they changed to
"Al-lah-Al-lah," keeping perfect time
and unison in pronunciation of the
word and the movement of the body. AS
they kept on, the fervor augmented, the
motions were quicker, and the mental
eXaltation visibly increased Then three
of the men seized huge tambourines,
and, beating them rhythmically, but
with certain fury, aroused the worship
ers to increased excitement. "Allah!
Allah" they cry, meanwhile. Then sue
ceeds another variation. Now it is
"Allah! Allah" with the last syllable
drawn out to long, musical wall, and
each minute added to the violence Of the
swaying and rocking of the body.
Finally, when the audience had worked
themselves into state of great excite
ment, the sheik leaped to the floor, the
others surrounding him in a circle, and
throwing his arms back and forth and
bending up and down, walked around
the circle, pausing in front of each man,
who sought to emulate the violence of
his motions with his own. The cry of
"Allah! Allah!" was dropped, and, in
stead of it, the breath was inspirated
violently, and then blown out through
the mouth and nostrils with an explosive,
Kissing sound, all doing it at the same
time, and accompanying it with a uni
form rocking of the body and violent
throwing of the head backward and for
ward. This continued for nearly an
hour, and, as it proceeded, the excite
ment became intense. Some seemed
to be in sort of crazy or hypnotic con-
dition, with their eyes either closed or
fixed for the strain of this continued
exertion and mental excitement soon
showed itself. One fell to the ground
as if in fit, while an old man, who had
been walking around the outside of the
circle, as if watching for such occur
rences, picked him up and shook him by
the collar, which seemed instantly to re,
store him, and put him back in his place
again. Then another a soldier, fell for.
ward into the circle, throwing his arms
wildly about. Others showed all the
signs of mental ecstasy. and were, appar
emily, unconscious of their surroundings
but still they kept up, in unison will
the others, the explosive drawing in ant
exhalation of the breath, with wild erie
and wilder gestures. 1t seemed at las
as if human endurance could no longe
withstand the strain of mental excite
mcnt and physical exertion, and one MAJ
fell to the ground as if he were dead
Attendants seized him and laid him il
an easy position. Then another fell
then another, until finally all were lyin:
or sitting on the ground. The soldie
looked and acted like maniac, for afte
lying exhausted for few minutes, h
arose, staggered to the end of the room
leaped into the AR once or twice
and then lowering his head, ra
at full speed across the floor and dasheC
himself against the wall. 1t did no
seem to hurt him. He only staggered
for moment ke drunken man, the
recovered himself, walked back again t
repeat the performance. His exampl
was followed by the most jealous Of tn
others.
The sheik is not only very fine look
ing man but also very genial one, an
talks pleasantly and even jokingly. II
is finely dressed. His outer robe is G
wool, woven in fine red and whit
stripes, and fastened with silk cord
Under this he wears loose, fiowin
jacket and skirt of fine material, worked
with flowers. His skull cap is c
curiously embroidered pink cloth
bound with turban of whit
and yellow silk. While we were cor
versing, his little daughter came in. Sh
J is a dainty little thing, three or for
) years old, with most beautiful black eve
and the longest curling eyelashes l hav
ever seen on child or woman. She wor
dress of blue silk and sack of marco
velvet, embroidered with gilt braid. 4
a sign from her father, she came to eac
of us, took her hands, placed them
her lips, and then to her forehead,
the most charming and graceful mann'
imaginable. After very pleasant cal
during which coffee and sherbet W;
: served, we babe adieu to our friend Il
sheik, wondering at the vagaries supe
, stition will lead otherwise sensible me
into. The natives who were present,
making their adieus, took his hand an
= attempted to kiss it, but he drew it bac
from each, as he was about to press it